500 Renault Zoe electric cars on the streets of Madrid as part of the ZITY car sharing programme
A 500-vehicle fleet of Renault ZOE fully electric cars arrive in Madrid this month to establish a car-sharing programme. The ZITY initiative is the result of cooperation between the auto manufacturer and Ferrovial, the city’s urban services operator.
This newly established initiative will provide an agile, user-friendly network of shared vehicles that are made available via a convenient smartphone app, which ensures that the prospective driver can access it when and where they need it. Renault is already the most successful e-car manufacturer in Europe, but the ZITY scheme is poised to truly cement its position in the market and underpin the company’s commitment to eco-friendly mobility for the larger populace.
Madrid is at the forefront of global car sharing initiatives. This is due to the city’s large geographical size and population, as well as the high levels of air pollution and widespread grid-lock traffic. The city’s authorities have been instrumental in implementing the very successful initiative by arranging a number of incentives to encourage the use thereof. For instance, on days when air pollution is particularly bad, parking for e-cars is free. Additionally, electric cars are permitted access to the CBD on high-pollution days, while vehicles with combustion engines are not. Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will not have access to Madrid’s commercial core at all from June 2018 onward. This landscape of sustainability has laid the groundwork for the ZITY collaboration between Renault and Ferrovial.
The ZOE vehicles in the scheme are fitted with innovative RIDECELL tech, with is connected to GSM smartphones via a Bluetooth link. This allows users to contact the ZOE cars even in and from areas where connectivity is not great (e.g. underground parking areas). The vehicle response time is also vastly reduced, and the technology allows users to access the cars using their phones alone.
The ZOE is tailormade for initiatives like these, since it has an impressive range and charges quickly. It boasts the Z.E.40 battery alongside a R90 motor, which allows it to average approximately 400 km per charge under controlled conditions. The auto manufacturer predicts that in real world conditions it will be closer to 300 km in summer and 200 km in winter. The battery charges from flat to 80% in just over an hour. This impressive feat can be ascribed to the fact that the patented Chameleon Charger (TM) has been engineered to make the most of a wide range of power supplies. Additionally, the Renault Range OptimiZer tech uses power sparingly. The Michelin ENERGY E-V tyres, heat pump and bi-modal braking system works in tandem to ensure that not a single watt goes to waste.
Keep your eye on the blog in coming weeks and months as we share more exciting news from the Renault camp.
